Wounds and Healing
The article clarifies the wounds and healing rules. Wounds Every raise on the damage roll inflicts a wound. Wounded Extras are removed from play. They’re dead, injured, or otherwise out of the fight. Wild Cards can take three wounds and still function. If another wound would be caused after that, they’re Incapacitated. Wild Cards never have more than three wounds—anything beyond that is just considered three wounds and incapacitated. Wound Penalties Each wound a Wild Card suffers causes a –1 cumulative penalty to his Pace (minimum of 1) and to all further Trait tests—up to the maximum of a hero’s 3 wounds. A hero with 2 wounds, for example, suffers a –2 penalty to his Pace and any Trait tests. Timing Characters sometimes take multiple hits on the same Action Card. Resolve each damage roll separately and completely before moving on to the next (including any Soak rolls). Incapacitation Incapacitated characters are not necessarily dead, but are generally too beaten, battered, or bruised to do anything useful. They may not perform actions and are not dealt Action Cards in combat. The Incapacitated status can only be removed through Natural Healing or by use of the Healing skill or power through a second-party. Incapacitated Extras are removed from play. Wild Cards are Incapacitated if they suffer more than three wounds (cumulatively or all at once). When a Wild Card becomes Incapacitated, make an immediate Vigor roll: *'Total of 1 or Less:' The character dies. *'Failure:' Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury is permanent and the victim is Bleeding Out (see below). *'Success:' Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away when all wounds are healed. *'Raise:' Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away in 24 hours, or when all wounds are healed. Wild Cards who are Incapacitated through non-lethal means are knocked out for 1d6 hours instead. Wound Results for Extras *'Damage exceeds toughness:' The Extra is incapacitated. *'Damage exceeds toughness by a Raise:' The Extra is injured. *'Damage exceeds toughness by two Raises or more:' The Extra is instantly slain. Injury Table 2d6 Wound *'2' Unmentionables: If the injury is permanent, reproduction is out of the question without miracle surgery or magic. There is no other effect from this result. *'3-4' Arm: Roll left or right arm randomly; it’s unusable like the One Arm Hindrance (though if the primary arm is affected, off-hand penalties still apply to the other). *'5-9' Guts: Your hero catches one somewhere between the crotch and the chin. Roll 1d6: **'1-2' Broken: Agility reduced a die type (minimum d4). **'3-4' Battered: Vigor reduced a die type (minimum d4). **'5-6' Busted: Strength reduced a die type (minimum d4). *'10' Leg: Gain the Lame Hindrance (or the One Leg Hindrance if already Lame). *'11-12' Head: A grievous injury to the head. Roll 1d6: **'1-2' Hideous Scar: Your hero now has the Ugly Hindrance. **'3-4' Blinded: An eye is damaged. Gain the One Eye Hindrance (or the Blind Hindrance if he only had one good eye). **'5-6' Brain Damage: Massive trauma to the head. Smarts reduced one die type (min d4). Bleeding Out The incapacitated character must make a Vigor roll at the start of each round after the one in which he was injured and before Action Cards are dealt: *'Failure:' The victim must roll again next round, or every minute thereafter if not in combat. *'Success:' The victim stabilizes and no further rolls are required. *'Total of 1 or Less:' The character dies from blood loss. For nonlethal damage, he’s rendered unconscious for 1d6 hours. Other characters may stop a victim’s bleeding by making a Healing roll. If successful, the victim stabilizes immediately and no further rolls are required. This use of the Healing skill just stops the bleeding. Healing The Healing skill can be used to treat any wound suffered within the last hour. Each attempt takes 10 minutes. A character may only attempt to heal fresh wounds on a given patient once within the hour they were sustained. A different character may attempt a Healing roll, but once attempted, that healer has done all he can for that particular patient. A success on a Healing roll removes one wound, and a raise removes two, and so on. Modifiers The healer must subtract the patient’s wound levels from his skill roll. A wounded character trying to heal his own injuries suffers from both effects (his wounds plus the wound penalty to the Healing roll). Healing requires some basic supplies such as bandages and reasonably clean water. If these aren’t available, the healer suffers a –2 penalty to his roll. The Golden Hour After one hour, only natural healing or the greater healing power can help. Incapacitated Patients If a victim is Incapacitated the healer must first make a Healing roll to remove that state, He may then attempt further Healing rolls to remove actual wounds. Natural Healing Every five days, wounded or Incapacitated characters may make Vigor rolls. Wild Cards remove one wound level (or their Incapacitated status) with a success, or improve two steps with a raise. A critical failure on a natural healing roll increases a Wild Card’s wound level by one. If the hero already has three wounds he becomes Incapacitated. Extras lose their Incapacitated status with a success and expire if they roll a 1 on their Vigor die. For characters wounded or Incapacitated by non-lethal attacks, the natural healing period is instead 5 hours. Subtract wound penalties from these rolls as usual, as well as any of the modifiers below. These are cumulative, so rough traveling in intense cold with one wound is a total penalty of –5, for example. Medical attention means that someone with the Healing skill is actively checking the patient’s wounds, changing dressings, giving what medicines are available, and generally looking after the patient’s well-being. Natural Healing Modifiers Modifier Condition *–2 Rough traveling *–2 No medical attention *–2 Poor environmental conditions, such as intense cold, heat, or rain *-- Medical attention (1940 or earlier) *+1 Medical attention (1941 or better) *+2 Medical attention (2010 and beyond) Aftermath: Extras It’s often important to know what happens to Extras who were Incapacitated during a fight. This creates interesting choices for the players after battle as they must decide what to do with their wounded companions and living captives. Do they leave their men behind? Do they slaughter their foes? These situations should present your group with chances to roleplay their characters, and challenges to their overall plans as they have to deal with prisoners or walking wounded. After a fight, the players make Vigor rolls for all of their incapacitated allies and the GM rolls for incapacitated foes. With a success, the Extra remains incapacitated (failure indicates death). With a raise, the wounds were only superficial and the character may function normally. Walking Wounded If it becomes important to know which incapacitated Extras can walk and which cannot, make a second Vigor roll for each. Those who make it are “walking wounded”—they may shamble slowly but still cannot fight or perform other useful actions. Those who don’t make the roll can be moved but risk aggravating their injuries. They must make another Vigor roll for each and every hour of movement. Should they fail, they begin to die. They may be stabilized with a Healing roll at –2, but any further movement will no doubt be fatal.